Bhubaneswar : Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s struggles continued as she crashed out in the first round of the Japan Open 2025 Super 750 badminton tournament. The world No. 16 lost to South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin in straight games, 15-21, 14-21, in a match that lasted just 38 minutes. This defeat marks her fifth first-round exit in 2025 and the seventh consecutive time she has failed to make it past the second round in recent tournaments.
Sindhu appeared rusty, committing frequent unforced errors and struggling with her shot selection and judgment of length. Despite rallying briefly in both games—clawing back to 13-12 in the first and 11-11 in the second—she was unable to sustain momentum, as Sim Yu Jin closed out both games comfortably. Notably, this was Sim’s first win over Sindhu in four career meetings.
Sindhu’s difficult run signals a sharp dip compared to her illustrious past, which includes two Olympic medals and five World Championship medals. After injuries and layoffs in recent seasons, her 2025 campaign has been particularly tough, with only a quarterfinal finish at the India Open as her best result this year.
In contrast to Sindhu’s struggles, there was good news for Indian badminton elsewhere on Day 1 in Tokyo:
Lakshya Sen broke a five-match losing streak, defeating China’s Wang Zheng Xing 21-11, 21-18 to reach the round of 16. Sen was dominant in the opening game and maintained composure to stay ahead in the second. He now faces local favorite Kodai Naraoka next.
The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also advanced impressively. The world No. 15 duo overcame South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Kim Dong Ju 21-18, 21-10, showing resilience after a tight opening game before dominating the second.
Sindhu’s continued early exits remain a concern for Indian badminton, especially as younger players and pairs show promise going deeper into major tournaments.
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